Grown Up
by Cri Fenti
Summary: Oneshot: It's twelve years later - Steven and Connie decide to move out of Beach City together. It's their final two days there before moving out and they'd have to say goodbye to everyone first before leaving. Rated T for minor suggestive adult scenes. Reading Time: 26m44s


(Author's Notes: I decided to write a bit about Connie and Steven. Hope y'all think it was good. Haha I'm just trying to expand my vocabulary and work on my writing this summer, so… um. Yup.)

Cold, sore wind bites up her arm slowly. She hugs an oversized sweater around her shoulders, covering up her skin as Steven says goodbye to her relatives back inside the warm house, some standing near the doorway, hugging their arms as if the frost is eating up their bodies as well. "Goodnight, everyone," Connie yells and finishes with a wave, soreness in her throat already from the gelid winter air. Her husband hears this and quickly takes ahold of her and wishes her family one last goodnight as he unlocks the car with the remote on his keys.

He goes over to the passenger side with Connie and opens the door for her to get in first, and she does, waving to her parents once again who are the only ones standing by the doorway now, holding each other closely. She keeps her eyes strained on her parents and fastens her seatbelt on. Her clammy hands tung on the belt to assure of its safety. The door on her side closes and she watches Steven go around the front of the car to get inside. Her eyes follow the the snow that falls exquisitely onto his shoulders and dark curly hair before he comes in and seats himself. "Did you leave anything inside?" he asks sweetly, his voice deep but scratchy from the nippy weather. He checks his pockets for his phone and wallet. Connie shakes her head at Steven and smiles softly. He turns on the heater in the car, rubbing his hands together before giving her a smile back. The lights interior on the top dim gradually slow as Connie watches them disappear. She leans back in the chair, keeping her eyes focused on the snow falling down in the existence of the street lights. "Did you have a nice time?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah, I did," she replies, ever so softly. Her head leans back in the seat and she closes her eyes. Steven backs out the car from her parent's driveway. "I was just curious, Steven," she chuckles softly and closes her eyes to look at her husband, who glances down at her. She plays with her curls as he concentrates on driving the car the Greg had bought for them when they had announced moving out during spring. Now it's winter, two days before they're destined to leave Beach City. It nearly broke everyone's heart when they had found out. Even Pearl couldn't handle the news, she had to have a long two hour talk with the grown up kids, obediently listening as she cried but with composure. Connie smiles up at him, like he's everything she's ever wanted and everything she's ever needed.

Steven can't help but keep on smiling, knowing the girl of his dreams is still by side. They've been together for over twelve years and nothing has changed since then. They never had to nerve to step up and get into many arguments. And, if they had, it'd be something silly like Steven not inviting Connie to a mission because he knew he didn't want her to get hurt. He thinks of this and he glances at Connie again. This time, ruffling her curly dark hair. Although they're in the dark now, he can see her face flush and her cheeks become red when they pass one or two street lights. "What were you curious about?"

"Well, um. Did you like the party?" Her voice is almost gone and she sounds nervous and shy about something, which Steven almost always found to be adorable. Her cheeks burn up but it feels good compared to the freezing wind that nearly gotten her sick tonight.

Steven stops slowly at a red light and turns to look at her. "Of course I did. I was pretty much excited the whole time and I'm glad I met most of your relatives, they seemed to be pretty cool." He laughs slightly and rubs his hands together afresh, blowing into them before gripping his hands on wheel, returning his attention to the road ahead when the light changes to green. He sees Connie smile at him from the side and she leans up real quick to plant a kiss on his cheek. Her lips are soft despite the faint cracking on the corner of her lip. She laughs quietly when she sees his cheeks flush red.

The two of them continue their small talk until they reach their apartment located by the end of Beach City. The snow falls onto the hood of the car and they both watch it come down harder. "Are you tired?" she asks, undoing her seatbelt as Steven turns off the car engine. He looks tired but still happy, kind of like when he's finished fighting off bad gems with Amethyst and he's proud of the work he's done.

His eyes fall down to hers and she smiles up at him. "I guess I could stay up a bit longer with you. I mean, um – if you want to, Connie," he says quietly, turning off the lights in the car. He can longer see her facial expression but he can tell she's biting her lip to stop grinning so much. "We should really go inside though." He takes out the key and keeps it in his hand. Steven opens the door to leave and Connie slowly does the same thing. She closes the door with care and follows him up the stairs that lead to their little apartment.

Steven opens the door and invites Connie in first before coming in himself. He closes the door and locks it before he drops they keys into a clear glass dish on the wooden stool by the door. He looks around and sees that mostly everything is packed up boxes, just like how they left it when they went out earlier. Connie removes her sweater and hangs it on the coat hanger by the door. She looks up at him and helps him out the thick coat he's been wearing almost all night. He smiles tiredly at her, pulling her closer by her waist after she hangs it with carefulness next to hers.

She blushes and looks down to hide it but he only tilts her chin up to get a good look at her. She has tired eyes, too. Her smile is weak. Her curls are now slightly damp from the light snow that had fallen on it before they went inside their apartment. Connie looks into his eyes, seeing how he admires her everything. His grip around her waist tightens and she let's out a playful laugh, leaning in to kiss him. She's surprised though, when he passes and leans down to nibble on her neck instead. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He smiles and pulls back to tease her by brushing his lip against hers coolly. "I think we should get to sleep, it's been a long day," he laughs. Her smiles all but disappears; however, she manages to not pout about his, considering it's true. She turns to go down the hall and to their room but he grabs her hand to stop her and pull her close. She looks confused but he gladly changes that when he goes in for a deep kiss.

Connie closes her eyes and moans into his mouth with eagerness. Although he's been good all day like always, she always seems to find his weak spot at the end of day when he's like this. He's hungry and she can't lie, she is too. They've been waiting long enough to do this thing everyone's already experienced but them. She always finds an excuse not to, which makes him upset. She just can't imagine the day they're arguing over sex and how she doesn't let him touch her in special places. He probably hides it, she'd think. He's always been good at faking whatever he's feeling. But when he's like this, kissing up on her, vulnerable, he can't help himself but want her. And he doesn't just want her, he needs her desperately.

He pulls from the kiss. He stares into her eyes with desperation, asking for her permission to actually do it with her - tonight. Steven lifts her up into his arms and she ties her legs around his waist. He's gotten stronger, she realizes and traces her fingers along the shadows of her partner's muscles. He's still big like when they were kids but he's gotten stronger because of his gem powers. He walks to their bedroom, which has boxes surrounding around the bed. He drops her down carefully onto the smoothed sheets. She stares up at his needy face, his muscles tensing up. He's waiting, she can tell too. She knows he's been waiting for her to call it quits and go to sleep, like what they've always done. She watches his eyes go up and down on her body.

Her arms reach out to him and he goes into them, keeping their bodies close. He leans back and pulls off the sleeved shirt off her body and tosses it onto the floor where the piled boxes stay put. She unbuttons his shirt delicately and he's teased by this. When she's at the last button, he can't contain himself and goes in to kiss her again, which she gladly returns.

"Connie," he whispers as he leans back. His breathing pattern is choppy and he can tell that hers is getting that way too. Her eyes look glossy and goosebumps rise on the surface of her skin when she hears him whisper her name. "Maybe, um. I was right? We should wait - for, um. This." She's staring into his eyes, reading him. He's hungry, desperate and needy for the taste of her skin. She nods hesitantly, glad it's over but confused why he wanted to quit so early.

She manages to hold on and smile at him. She pulls him into the bed with a kiss and he manages to fall asleep within a few minutes. She hugs his arm tightly, feeling all the battle scars while she's in the dark with him. It isn't long until she falls asleep in his arms, dreaming of how her future will be with Steven. She'll always be there with him, serving him coffee outside while he's pushing a little girl and boy back and forth on the swing set in their backyard.

The next morning, she wakes up alone in bed with the sound of bacon crackling over in the kitchen. She sighs and pulls herself up from the bed. The coldness quickly creeps up her skin and she heads over to bathroom, hugging her arms. She looks confused when she looks in the mirror to find herself in pajamas, knowing that she slept in her "going out with family" clothes from last night. She brushes her teeth and rinses out before she leaves the bathroom and heads over to the kitchen where Steven almost bumps into her as she walks in.

He bolts back in surprise and laughs at himself for the mistake. "I made you breakfast" — he gestures his spatula over to a plate of food on the empty counter. "And I'm sorry about that just now." Connie smiles at him and goes over to take the plate of food. She sits up on the counter and takes it into her hands.

Her face lights up when she tastes the fluffy eggs on her plate. She covers her mouth and watches Steven cook. "Are we going to anymore parties this week?" And she knows the answer but she continues to eat, waiting to hear Steven's morning voice again.

Steven finishes up with the cooking and serves it onto a plate next to the stove. He look at her and smiles nervously. "We're going to one more party, yes – and it's today. It's for us and everyone we know from Beach City is going to be there. It'll be great, don't worry." He starts eating and Connie watches him with her continued smile, which makes him nervous. He watches her legs swing back and forth off the counter and they finish breakfast early to get ready for the party. Connie comes out of the bedroom in what appears to look like fashioned winter gear. She has on a dark red and black long-sleeved shirt, light blue denim jeans topped with burgundy winter boots. Steven stares at her perfection quietly before he turns away to hide his face. "You look beautiful, Connie," he finally says, his breath giving out on him.

She comes up to him and fixes his curly hair, parting the sides evenly and smiles when she's done. They take their coats and head out the door into the icy winter morning. Steven holds her as he reaches the car, opening the door for her after he unlocks it. He goes around the car to get into the driver's side. He turns on the car and smiles at Connie next to him, giving him an adorable smile before he takes off to the temple.

When they get there, half of the town is still decorating with banners that say "We Will Miss You!". Steven parks the car and gets out almost immediately. He stares in awe how they prepare everything so simple but also surprisingly nice. Connie comes around and sneaks herself underneath Steven's arm. She grins up at him and he does the same to her.

"How does it look?"

The both of them turn around, startled by the random question. It's Peridot. She looks irritated but the same as before and the both of them smile cheerily at her. "It looks great, Peridot," Steven says, turning around to look at them prepare. Peridot seems to give them both a cheesy smile after he says so and walks off.

"I'm glad you say so," Period chuckles. Steven watches her for minute, seeing how she's finally getting along with the other humans in Beach City. Lapis soon joins her and they work together, setting up a nearby refreshment stand together. Connie looks up at Steven, who looks pretty happy now that he's here, where he belongs. She gives him a quick kiss on his cheek and he smiles more.

He's not smiling merely at the kiss, he's smiling at the sight of his old family members walking towards him. Steven pulls Connie underneath his arm again and he walks closer to them. He smiles at Amethyst, then at Garnet, and lastly to Pearl, who races over to hug Steven tightly. He doesn't seem to fit in her arms anymore and he's grown taller than her over the years – which makes him think. His thoughts wander off into the childhood section of his mind, when the Gems would take care of him. Steven tears up at the thought and tries to comfort himself when he thinks of how they taught him the magic he knows today so well. He hesitantly wraps his arms around Pearl, who's in tears now, telling him over and over not to leave and repeatedly tells him that she'll always remember him and miss him. Connie laughs when she sees his face. Steven looks out of breath but sad as they all keep hugging him, not letting go until Steven can work up the words to say it.

Pearl laughs nervously and goes in for a quick second hug from Steven, who gladly accepts. She laughs nervously, looking between the Gems and Steven, who looks all grown up now. "Promise us you'll visit?" Pearl asks, her voice broken, knowing the answer already but wanting to clarify it immediately. Steven nods a yes, smiling, and smiles even more when he sees his dad's van driving down the sandy beach. Garnet sees this and pulls Pearl away, letting Steven and Connie go over to him.

Greg stops and gets out from the driver's side as Steven comes running over to him. He opens his arms wide for a hug but nearly knocks his dad over. His dad still manages to laugh but subtly sad inside. Greg nods at Connie and gives her a hug as well. "It's nice to see you again," she tells him, hugging him more and leans back afterwards. Greg smiles at the two grown up adults in front him.

"How have you two been? I haven't heard from you two in a really long time," Greg says. Connie can't help but emphasize the "really long time" part to herself mentally, noticing how terribly bad he's aged from over the period of time. His beard is almost near greying but his hair seems to have given up, it looks nearly white but has some grey and brown splotches here and there.

Steven laughs and glances down at Connie the back at his father. "We've been okay," he says and leans down to kiss her forehead. "I finally got to see her family yesterday, it was fun and quite amusing." Greg looks surprised at him, trying to find a trace of nervousness in his starry eyes, that would most likely resemble his mother's. "Regardless, I've been up to the usual fighting gems and stuff. Connie here has been–"

"I've been working on school, Mr. Universe. Though, I'd have to admit – is hard," Connie laughs. Greg laughs at the interruption and goes on to explain how being a human means to have much more options. Steven feels like he's been thrown out of the conversation and walks back over to the Gems.

He helps them decorate for his and Connie's goodbye party, setting up more banners and inviting more people inside the gate the Gems set up after Steven moved out. It doesn't take long before almost all of the town's resident's show up. Steven's happy to see the same ol' familiar faces but even more happy to see some new faces gathered around like Lars and Sadie's two year old baby girl. It doesn't take long before Greg sets up his old system sound stereo, playing old favorites which Steven and Connie dance to, happily.

The sun begins to set and Mayor Dewey taps his marriage ring onto the wine glass he's holding in his hand. He gets up on Greg's van and the music slowly quiets down, causing the people of Beach City to give their attention to cocky mayor in front of them. "Excuse me, fellow citizens. I'd like to propose a toast to the happy couple, Steven Rose Quartz and Connie Maheswaran, soon to be former residents of my beloved town, Beach City. I'd like the thank Steven and Connie, sometimes Stevonnie, for the numerous amounts of time they've saved Beach City from danger. Although we had to live with the constant wrecked town for months after months, taking time to fix and replace every shattered window and every damaged rooftop before it gotten destroyed by whatever Jasper that came to Earth that year, I'd still like to thank the two of them being there when we needed them," Mayor Dewey says, raising his glass and everyone else followed, some raising red solo cups, some with beer cans and others with juice boxes. "To saving this town," he announces. Everyone stares at him but they just go with it, bumping all their glasses, cups and juice boxes together.

Steven turns to Connie as everyone agrees to ignite the fireworks. "Three…two…one!" everyone shouts as they light the firework, which almost immediately shoots up into the sky, bursting its bright colors onto the town's beach and ocean. Steven turns to his wife and kisses her lips without hesitation. The town's people continue to light more fireworks as the night settles down on them. They were ready, both of them, ready to begin their new life together.


End file.
